coryphaena's Profile
Knoxville lunch recommendation
Shallots is right about the 640 detour taking you out near Litton's, and they do have a killer burger, but you can hit Litton's and then keep on going on I-40 until you get to I-140, a straight shot to the airport with no need to head back into a construction zone.
Funny, I grew up in Knoxville and lived there until 1997, and I couldn't tell you one place I'd call a 'must go' for lunch - Litton's is a good call, though - I used to end up there for lunch a lot back when. Puleo's has a good reputation, but that mostly means it's popular with E. Tenn. folks - not necessarily a 'foodie endorsement', that.
Charleston Dish issue out today. What restaurants are on your list?
"Wimpy"? How do you figure? You're talking about me and the wife, and I'd like to hear your criticisms.
You used to like Holly? It's not a Holly review until you've used the words "sturdy", "toothsome", "perched" and "pert" not to mention the phrase "sang with flavor", right?
Fat Hen, Charleston - review
I have to tell you, the wife and I finally got out to see what all the fuss was about over the Fat Hen, and we were completely underwhelmed. The host stand was staffed by three surly sour-faced women who seemed annoyed by the fact we wanted to eat. At 6 pm on a Saturday, we were asked to wait without explanation for a few minutes with a nearly-empty dining room. The room is designed with no seating or even an out-of-the-way place to stand while you stand, watching three - count 'em, three - hostesses avoid your gaze and stack menus. Finally led to a 2-top in the middle of the room, we had to ask to be seated at one of the half-dozen empty wall-side tables instead.
Our server seemed unable to care less about us. He wearily ran the through the specials with difficulty, dropped our drinks on the table and disappeared for ten minutes. Cook times for appetizers was just short of 20 minutes, in a half-full restaurant on the first turn of the night. Which gave us plenty of time to chew the room-temperature hunk of unremarkable bread.
We went with five apps shared for the two of us, and they were good at the very best. The oysters and 'country ham' Jeff Allen and Deidre Schipani have separately raved about was fine but hardly praise-worthy - nice oysters in a cream sauce with some ham dice; the snails were likewise nothing special - a plate with five smallish snails, a few toast rounds and a puddle of garlic butter for six bucks. The onion tart came across more like an open-faced pita sandwich than anything else, lacking in salt and nothing more than mediocre puff pastry with a few underseasoned carmelized onions with some rather undercooked lardons, not enough creme fraiche and a good-enough batch of greens on top.
We had high hopes for the charcuterie plate but found it to be nothing more than a nice enough mousse, a stringy coarse country forcemeat, an adequate slice of smoked salmon (if they are doing this in-house, they are wasting their time), some more of those toast rounds and a bunch of red grapes, all on a plate that looked as if it were arranged by a third-grader. Ho-hum. We admittedly liked the bbq duck, although the grits were as underseasoned as all the local critics have mentioned in each of their reviews almost a year ago.
Service was slow. We sat with empty water and beverage glasses several times ("Oooh! Mason jars? How caaaampy!" "Empty ones, at that!"). We finished with a cheese plate, after asking about the provenance of each of the selections (so that the pregnant member of the party could avoid raw-milk cheeses, something we hate to do, but are supposed to do). Our server was completely clueless about what we were talking about, and when we flagged down an additional server for help, he said, "Oh, everything is pasteurized milk."
Aside: I've spent a couple of years as a cheesemonger in Charleston, and I can assure you, that statement is very hard to believe. Yes, I know importation of raw-milk cheese was not legal until recently, but we used to get all sorts of the stuff when I was selling cheese (in Charleston, and nearly 10 years ago) including many raw-milk items not specifically ordered as such. You can't assume, especially with the soft, ripened stinky kinds we like to order in restaurants. I personally don't see what the big deal about pregnancy and raw cheeses is, but she does, and that's all that matters, right?
The plate was fine, although the runner who served it was unable to name two of the three cheeses on the plate, and the third was an oozy, ripened no-brainer.
The table was cleared, our server quickly mumbled something about dessert, we passed, paid our check, and headed out. No employee noticed we were leaving.
Our ride home was spent in mild disbelief. Not particularly inexpensive, nor expensive. Nothing at all that made us consider coming back to eat. Uninteresting dining room. A front-of-house staff that ranged from borderline-incompetent to indifferent to unfriendly. There's equal or better country-French to be had several places in Chas without the 'novelty' of driving half an hour. Early reviews last summer indicated how effervescent, professional, earnest the fantastic front-of-house (and back-) staff was - I guess those folks have moved on, because we encountered none of them on our (only) visit to the Fat Hen.
Having awakened this morning and read all the press I can find about the place, it seems we missed out on the shank or maybe the coq au vin, but I don't think it's worth the trouble or the experience - I can stew a chicken or braise a shank at home, and with better company.
Don't believe the hype. Go to La Fourchette or Coco's or G & M or.... instead.
Charleston
Tourist traps: Magnolia's, 82 Queen, Poogan's, Jestine's, Garibaldi. With the exception of Peninsula Grill and Mercato, every other restaurant on the Market is a tourist trap. True local food is very rarely served within sight of t-shirt or ice cream shops.
Marina Variety Store Restaurant was not named "best breakfast in Charleston" by the P & C, but rather one of several of the best. It's cheap and greasy, but it's a good value and served over a nice view by nice people.
Love Boulevard Diner. Wouldn't call it "Classic Southern", but I'd rather have a glass of warm tapwater there than a lifetime of free meals at Jestine's.
Charleston
True, true. Wasn't trying to step on your toes, but I think a lot of places downtown have been surviving on reputation for a long time. Forgot to mention SNOB - wife and I had a great - surprisingly great - meal there a couple of weeks ago...
c.
Charleston - Fulton Five or Mercato?
If you haven't been to one of two restaurants, how do you have any idea one "is in a whole different category" than the other? Fulton Five and Al di La are nearly identical in size, and I would have to call service equal between the two - both very good. I haven't been to Mercato yet, but word on the street is that it's great execution of a boring menu. They serve spag and meatballs, hoping tourists won't mind because they name it in Italian. If you're stuck downtown, go to Fulton Five. If you're mobile, the food is at least as good and about a third cheaper at Al di La.
Tristan in Charleston
Sneed is gone, new owners as of last year (2005). Not generally mentioned in anyone's top ten downtown restaurants. Not that it's bad - it's just an expensive good restaurant within walking distance of ten expensive great ones.
Chinese in Charleston
Dragon Palace is only OK and expensive. I've found Red Orchids to do about the best "Americanized Chinese" in town - a few more authentic dishes and some buns, etc., and the relatively new Palais de Jade in Mount Pleasant is perhaps the most authentic of them all in town. Whole steamed fish, abalone soup, etc. Recommended.
All in all, though, this ain't much of a Chinese cookin' town.
Charleston,, SC
Widely known among locals as a tourist trap. People who live here generally do not eat there.
charleston
1) Peninsula Grill
2) Charleston Grill
3) Al Di La
4) Basil
5) McCrady's
Jestine's is overrated. Anyone having a bad meal at Peninsula Grill is an anomaly and should be ignored.
The Anchor Line will disappoint anyone used to fried seafood shacks of New England. It's just OK.
Pita King is great. So is SNOB.
Marina Variety Store is a good breakfast with a nice view and gentle prices. Lunch too. Dinner, not so much, although they often have outrageous wine specials one night a week, and you can watch the water in a/c while you drink it.
Charleston
Jestine's is a tourist trap. Good Lowcountry cooking in downtown is near impossible. Drive seven miles up Spruill to Aunt Bea's. I've always thought of Magnolia's and 82 Queen as tourist traps as well. Cru Cafe, Carolina's, Peninsula Grill and Charleston Grill are good choices downtown - the rest are all overrated.
takin' the kids to Charleston!!
Bookstore Cafe has moved to Mount P and is now "Charleston's Bookstore Cafe". I never understood why tourists stood in line waiting for a chance to eat overpriced mediocre food, but now, if you want to do so, you'll have to go to Mt. P.
Charleston S.C. restaurants?
Jestine's is a tourist trap. I make better greens and my family is from Maine. Skip it and go to Aunt Bea's in Olde N Charleston or Marie's Diner, or any of the other serious meat-n-three's in town.
Charleston, SC - near the airport
Binh Minh is closed as of 8/05/2006.
Bowen's Island is a fine suggestion but it is anything but close to the airport. It's a 45-minute drive on a good traffic day.
